Thy mind which now wandereth in every direction, shall rest
By enlightening it with God’s name.
No obstacle can impede him In wjiose heart God abideth.
This Kal age is hot; God’s name is cool;
Remember it, remember it, and thou shalt ever be happy. By service and love the mind becometh enlightened, Fears depart, all hopes shall be fulfilled,
Man shall abide in the imperishable home,
Saith Nanak, and Death’s noose be cut for his escape.
It is the true man who meditateth on God;
It is the falsest of the false who suffer transmigration; But transmigration shall be effaced by serving God. Abandon pride and seek the protection of the divine Guru,
So shall thy precious human life be saved.
Remember God who is the support of the soul—
Man shall not be saved by many devices,
Or by studying the Simritis, the Shastars, and the Veds. Nanak, heartily serve God,
And thou shalt obtain thy heart’s desire.
Thy wealth shall not depart with thee;
Why art thou wrapped up in it, O foolish man ?
Son, friend, family, and wife—
Say what ownership hast thou in them.
Dominion, worldly pleasure, and extensive wealth—
Say who can escape from these.
Horses, elephants, carriages, and equipages,
Are delusive shows and false displays;
Ignorant man knoweth not Him who gave them ;
Nanak, he forgetteth the Name and afterwards regretteth.
Take the advice of the Guru, 0 silly man ;
Without devotion many clever men have been lost. Worship God with thy heart, 0 my friend,
And thy mind shall become pure ;
Put His lotus feet into thy heart,
And the sins of many births shall depart ;
Repeat His name thyself and cause others to do so ;
By hearing it, and uttering it, and abiding by it thou shalt obtain salvation.
The real thing is God’s true name—
Nanak, sing His excellences with devotion and love.
By singing God’s praises filth shall be washed away,
And the poison of pride, which overspreadeth thee, shall depart.
By remembering God’s name at every breath thou drawest, Thou shalt become free from care and abide in happiness—
O man, lay aside all thy cleverness ;
The true wealth thou shalt acquire in the company of the saints.
Obtain God’s name as thy capital, deal with it,
And thou shalt be happy in this world and victorious in the next—
Saith Nanak, he on whose forehead such fate hath been written,
Seeth the one God without interruption in all things.
Repeat the name of the one God, magnify the one God, Remember the one God, make Him thy heart’s desire, Sing the excellences of the one God who is endless ; With soul and body repeat the name of the one God— God Himself is the only, only, only one;
The perfect God filleth every place ;
There have been many expansions of the one God. 1 1 That is, there have been many creation?.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN
Worship the one God, and all thy sins shall depart. Nanak, by the favour of the Guru the one God is known by him
Whose soul and body are thoroughly imbued with His love,
Slok XX
After many wanderings, O God, I have come to Thine asylum ;
Nanak’s prayer, O God, is—‘ Let me apply myself to Thy service.’
Ashtapadi XX
I, a beggar, beg a gift of Thee, O God :
Mercifully grant me Thy name.
I crave for the dust of the saints’ feet ;
Fulfil my desire, O Supreme Being.
Let me ever sing Thine excellences,
And meditate on Thee, at every breath ;
Let me ever love Thy lotus feet,
And continually perform Thy service.
Thou art mine only shelter, mine only support Nanak craveth Thine excellent name.
In God’s favouring glance there is great happiness.
But few obtain God’s savour ; 1 They who have tasted it are satisfied,
They have become perfect beings and waver not,
They are filled with the sweetness and delight of love, And in the company of the saints feel desire to meet God. They enter His asylum forsaking all others,
Their hearts are enlightened, and they fix their attention on Him day and night.
Very fortunate are they who repeat God’s name;
Nanak, they who are dyed with it are happy.
&IKH. Ill
The desires of God’s servant are fulfilled ;
He obtaineth pure instruction from the true Guru.
God is merciful to His servant,
And rendereth him ever happy.
God cutteth his fetters, he is emancipated,
And the ignorance from which the pain of birth and death resulteth is no more ;
His wishes are fulfilled, his desires are all fulfilled ;
He is blended with God and is ever present with Him. God to whom he belonged hath blended him with Himself—
Nanak is absorbed in God’s service and His name.
Why forget Him who destroyeth not the effects of labour ? Why forget Him who regardeth what is done for Him ? Why forget Him who gave us everything ?
Why forget Him who is the life of living beings ?
Why forget Him who preserveth us in the fire of the womb ?
By the Guru’s favour some rare one seeth Him—
Why forget Him who extricateth man from sin,
And joineth with Him those who had broken with Him during many births ?
The perfect Guru hath taught me the real thing ;
So Nanak hath meditated on his God.
O holy saints, do this—
Abandon all else and repeat God’s name ;
Remember it, remember it, remember it, and you shall be happy;
Repeat it yourselves and cause others to repeat it.
By service and love you shall cross over the world ; Without service the body shall be as dust. 1 From the treasure of the Name all beatitude and happiness are obtained,
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 259
And even they who are drowning obtain rest—
O Nanak, repeat the name of the Lord of excellences, And all thy sorrow shall depart.
The wish of my soul and body is
That the pleasures of love, affection, and desire for God may spring up in me ;
That I may have the happiness of beholding Him with mine eyes ;
And that my soul may be gladdened by washing the saints’ feet.
Few there arc who can obtain association with the saints, And whose souls and bodies are filled with love for Thee. Mercifully grant me one thing, 0 God,
To repeat Thy name by the Guru’s favour.
Nanak, God’s praises cannot be expressed ;
He is contained in all things ;
He is the Pardoner, compassionate to the poor,
Kind to the saints, and ever merciful.
Gobind Gopal, the Patron of the patronless,
Cherisheth all creatures ;
He is the primal Being, the Creator of the world,
. The support of the souls of holy men.
He shall become pure who repeateth His name,
And devoteth to Him service, affection, and heartfelt love.
Devoid of virtue, low, and ignorant
Nanak seeketh thy protection, 0 Supreme Power.
He who singeth God’s praises even for a moment,
Shall obtain everything—heaven, salvation, deliverance. He to whose heart the story of God’s name is pleasing, Shall enjoy the various pleasures and greatness of a monarch.
They whose tongues continually repeat God’s name,
Shall enjoy plenteous food, raiment, singing, and dancing.
S 2
Good are his deeds, glorious and wealthy is he In whose heart the perfect Guru’s spell abideth.
O God, grant Nanak a dwelling with Thy saints,
Where all happiness shall be manifested unto him.
Slok XXI :
The Formless One who possesseth all qualities, and yet is devoid of them is in profound contemplation ;
Nanak, what He hath made He again absorbeth in Himself.
Ashtapadi XXI 1
Before this world in any wise appeared,
By whom were bad and good acts committed ?
•When God was in profound meditation,
With whom were enmity and strife ?
When no colour or trace of man was seen,
Say who then felt joy or sorrow.
When there was only the Supreme Being Himself,
Where was worldly love ? Who had superstition ?
He Himself performed His own play ;
Nanak, there was no other Creator.
When God was the sole master,
Say who was accounted bond or free.
When there was only the one God, inaccessible, limitless, Say who was born in hell or heaven. 2 When God who is without attributes was in profound repose,
Say where were Shiv and his consort.
When God Himself held His own light,
Who was fearless, who feared any one ?
* He Himself performed His own play ;
Nanak, God is inaccessible and illimitable.
* That is, hell and heaven did not then exist.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN
When the Imperishable One was seated on His comfortable throne,
Say where were then transmigration and destruction. When there was only the perfect God the Creator,
Say who had any fear of Death.
When there was only the one invisible and incomprehensible God,
Whom did Chitr and Gupt call on for his account ? When there was only the pure, incomprehensible, and unfathomable Lord,
Who was then emancipated ? Who was bound with fetters ? God is wonderful in Himself ;
Nanak, it was He Himself created His own form.
When there was only the pure Being, the Lord of men, And there was no filth of sin, say what was the need of ablution.
When there was only the bright, formless, and undisturbed One,
Who was held in honour and who in dishonour ?
When there was only the Lord of the world,
Say who was the victim of deceit and fraud.
When God’s light was contained in Himself,
Who felt hunger ? who satiety ?
The Creator is the Cause of causes ;
Nanak, the Creator is beyond calculation.
When God’s glory was contained in Himself,
Who was then mother, father, friend, son, or brother ? When He Himself was versed in all accomplishments, Where did any one see the Veds and Muhammadan books ? When God kept His designs to Himself,
Who thought of favourable or unfavourable omens ? When He Himself was far and He Himself was near. Who was Master and who was slave ?
Man is astonished at the wonders of creation :
Nanak, only God Himself knoweth His own condition.
When the undeceivable, the impenetrable, and the inscrutable One was contained in Himself,
Who felt the influence of mammon ?
When there was no one to offer obeisance to God but Himself,
The three qualities had not yet entered the world.
When there was only the one God,
Who was free from care, who felt care ?
When God was content with Himself,
Who preached and who listened ?
God is totally infinite, the most exalted of the exalted : O Nanak, He Himself is His own parallel.
When God made this illusion of the world,
He diffused the three qualities in it,
Demerits and merits began to be spoken of ;
Some suffered hell and others enjoyed heaven.
God made the snares and entanglements of mammon, Pride, worldly love, doubt, excessive fear,
Woe and weal, honour and dishonour,
And delivered different kinds of doctrines.
God Himself performeth and beholdeth His own play ; When He collectetli the stage properties, 1 O Nanak, He alone remaineth.
Where there are saints of the Invisible, there is He Himself.
When God extended Himself, the saints became glorious ; He Himself is the arbiter of both states ; 2 1 God’s glory is peculiar to Himself ;
He Himself performeth plays, amusements, and frolics ; He enjoyeth pleasures and yet remaineth separate from them;
* Creation and destruction.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 263
He attacheth whomsoever He pleaseth to His name,
And causeth whomsoever He pleaseth to play the play of the world.
He is incalculable, unfathomable^ uncountable, and unrivalled—-
His slave Nanak speaketh as He causeth him to speak.
Slok XXII
Nanak, the one God is everywhere extended; where is there another seen ?
Ashtapadi XXII
Thou Thyself art the speaker, Thou Thyself the hearer; Thou art one, and Thou art many.
When it pleased God, He created the world ;
And when it pleased Him, He absorbed it in Himself. Without Thee, O God, nothing is done ;
Thou holdest the whole world on Thy string.
He whom God Himself instructeth,
Obtaineth the true Name,
Looketh on all with an equal eye, knoweth the truth, And is, O Nanak, victorious over the universe.
Men and the lower animals are in the power of Him Who is compassionate to the poor and the Patron of the patronless.
No one can destroy whom God preserveth;
He whom God forgetteth is already dead.
Why should any one leave God and go to another ?
The one bright Monarch is over all.
Know that He in whose power are the ways of all creatures, Is with thee whether at home or abroad.
The Ocean of excellences is endless and illimitable;
The slave Nanak is ever a sacrifice unto Him.
The perfect compassionate God filleth every place:
He is merciful to all,
And knoweth His own affairs.
The Searcher of hearts is contained in everything,
And cherisheth creatures in divers ways.
Whatever creatures He made meditate on Him.
He blendeth with Himself whosoever pleaseth Him, Performeth His service, and singeth His praises.
He who hath hearty faith in Him,
O Nanak, recognizeth the one God, the Creator.
The hopes of him who is attached to the name of the one God,
• Shall not be in vain.
Service is the duty of the servant :
He who obeyeth God’s order shall obtain the supreme state,
Than which nothing more exalted can be conceived.
He in whose heart the Formless One dwelleth,
And who night and day worshippeth the Guru’s feet, Shall burst his fetters and be free from enmity :
He shall be at ease in this world, happy in the next,
And, O Nanak, God will blend him with Himself.
Be joyous in the company of the saints •,
Swy, W\t pvais&s, ol God. who is the Primal Joy ;
Meditate on God’s name the real thing ;
Save thy human life so difficult of attainment;
And sing the ambrosial words of God’s praises—
That is the way to save thy soul.
He who beholdeth God ever near him,
Shall be delivered from his ignorance, and his spiritual darkness dispelled.
Hearken to instruction, and treasure it in thy heart,
So shalt thou, Nanak, obtain the reward thy heart desireth.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 265
Arrange both this world and the next for thyself By clasping God’s name to thy heart.
Perfect is the teaching of the peffect Guru ;
He in whose heart it dwelleth assayeth the truth.
With thy soul and body attentively repeat God’s name, And sorrow, pain, and fear shall depart from thy heart. O dealer, deal in the true merchandise of the Name ,
And thy cargo shall go to heaven with thee.
Put the prop of the one God into thy heart,
Nanak, and thou shalt not again suffer transmigration.
Where can any one go far from God ?
Thou shalt be saved by meditating on the Preserver.
All his fear shall depart who uttereth the name of the Fearless One,
And he shall be saved by God’s mercy.
He whom God preserveth shall not feel misery ;
By repeating God’s name his mind shall be happy,
His anxieties shall depart, his pride be erased,
And there shall be none equal to him—
Nanak, all his affairs shall succeed Over whom the brave 1 Guru watcheth.
The world shall be saved by beholding the Guru,
Whose understanding is perfect, whose g\anc.e is nectaT, And whose lotus feet are incomparable.
Profitable is a sight of him, beautiful his form,
Blessed his service, and acceptable his servant.
He in whose heart the Seafcher of hearts,
The Supreme Being, dwelleth is happy,
And Death shall not approach him.
Nanak, he who in the company of the saints meditateth on God
Becometh immortal, and obtaineth the immortal rank.
Slok XXIII
The Guru hath given the eye-salve of divine knowledge by which the darkness of ignorance is dispelled ;
The mind of him, 0 Nanak, who by God’s favour meeteth the saints is enlightened.
Ashtapadi XXIII
In the company of the saints I have seen God within me ; God’s name to me is sweet—
All things of various colours and divers forms Are in the heart of the one God. 1 God’s name is the nine treasures and ambrosia For him in whose body it findeth a resting-place.
Where there is deep meditation, the unbeaten sound is heard ;
The wonder and marvel of it cannot be described.
He to whom God showeth Himself, beholdeth Him,
And, O Nanak, obtaineth understanding.
The Endless One is with thee whether at home or abroad ; He is contained in every heart,
In earth, heaven, and nether regions ;
In all worlds He is the Perfect Cherishei ;
In forest, glade, and mountain He is the Supreme Being ; As He ordereth so are His creatures' acts.
In wind, water, fire,
And in every direction is He contained ;
There is no place where He is not.
Nanak, by the Guru’s favour obtain happiness ;
Consult the Veds, Purans, and Simritis, and thou shalt know
That the one God is in the moon, the sun, and the stars. Everybody speaketh with the voice of God,
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 267
Who is unwavering and never wavereth.
He playeth His play with all His appliances ;
He cannot be obtained by purchase, His attributes are priceless ;
His light is in all things.
He holdeth the warp and woof of the world.
Nanak, this is the creed of those who
By the Guru’s favour are freed from superstition.
In the sight of the saints everything is God ;
In their hearts is all faith.
It is only good words the saints hear ;
They love God who is contained in all things.
The rule of the saint who knoweth God is to speak the truth to everybody ;
Whatever happeneth he taketh for the best,
For he recognizeth God as the Cause of causes.
God dwelleth within as also without man ;
Nanak, on beholding Him all men are fascinated.
He Himself is true ; true is everything that He hath made :
Everything was created by God.
If it please Him He expandeth Himself,
If it please Him His form alone remaineth.
His manifold power cannot be seen ;
He blendeth with Himself whomsoever He pleaseth. What can be described as near Him and what distant, Since He Himself filleth all space ?
Nanak, God causeth that man to understand Him Whom he teacheth that He Himself is within him.
God Himself abideth in all the elements ;
He beholdeth all things with His own eyes ;
The whole creation is His body ;
He Himself heareth His own praises ;
He hath made transmigration as a play,
And rendered Maya subservient to Him.
Included in everything, He yet remaineth distinct. Whatever order is to be given, He giveth Himself ;
By His order man cometh, by His order man goeth ; Nanak, when it pleaseth Him, He blendeth man with Himself.
Whatever cometh from Him is not evil;
Say hath any one except Him done anything.
He Himself is good ; His acts are very good;
He Himself knoweth His own mind ;
He Himself is true, and true is everything that He supported ;
The warp and woof of the world He hath blended with Himself;
His condition and measure cannot be described ;
If any one else were like Him, he would know how to describe Him.
Nanak, by the favour of the Guru
It is known that all God’s acts must be accepted.
He who knoweth Him must always be happy,
And God will blend him with Himself.
He in whose heart God dwelled is wealthy,
Of high family, honoured, and obtained salvation during life.
Hail, hail, hail! a man 1 hath come
By whose favour the whole world shall be saved.
The object of his coming was
That through him the Name might be remembered.
He was saved himself and he saved the world :
To him, Nanak, I ever make obeisance.
Slok XXIV
He who worshippeth the perfect God whose name is perfect,
And who singeth the praises of the perfect One, 0 Nanak, obtaineth the perfect One.
HYMNS OF GURU ARJAN 269
Ashtapadi XXIV
Hear the instruction of the perfect Guru—
Regard the Supreme Being as ever near thee ;
Repeat His name at every breath,
And the anxiety of the heart shall depart.
Abandon the fleeting wave of desire,
And heartily pray for the dust of the saints’ feet. Renounce pride, make supplication,